ciliate with two long pennate diatom cells ingested, Bering Sea

Another example of a spirotrich ciliate ingesting very large diatoms, in this case the ciliate has engulfed two long pennate diatom cells which may have been in the process of dividing. How this ciliate species manages to ingest such large prey cells (or what happens to the frustules after digestion!) is unknown. Sea ice diatom bloom, Bering Sea, April 2008. Lugol fixed/light microscopy.